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62d Congress) 
3d Session J 



HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 



(Document 
t No. 1489 



JOHN GEISER McHENRY 

( Late a Representative from Pennsylvania) 



MEMORIAL ADDRESSES 



DELIVERED IN THE 

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES AND THE SENATE 

OF THE UNITED STATES 

'^•'?' SIXTY-SECOND CONGRESS 

THIRD SESSION , - i-^l3 



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Proceedings in the House 
February 16, 1913 



Proceedings in the Senate 
February 27, 1913 



PREPARED UNDER THE DIRECTION OP 
THE JOINT COMMITTEE ON PRINTING 




WASHINGTON 
1913 



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JUL 20 1914 



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TABLE OF CONTENTS 



Page. 

Proceedings in the House 5 

Prayer by Rev. Henry N. Couden, D. D 7 

Memorial addresses by — 

Mr. Rothcrmel, of Pennsylvania 9 

Mr. Wilson, of Pennsylvania 13 

Mr. Gregg, of Pennsylvania 15 

Proceedings in the Senate 17 

Prayer by Rev. Ulysses G. B. Pierce, D. D 19 

Memorial addresses by — 

^ Mr. Penrose, of Pennsylvania 23 

Mr. Oliver, of Pennsylvania ^-- 24 



[3] 




HON. JOHN G. Mc HENK^ 



DEATH OF HON. JOHN GEISER McHENRY. 



Proceedings in the House. 

Thursday, January 2, 1913. 
Mr. Palmer. Mr. Speaker, I offer the resolution which 
I send to the Clerk's desk. 

The Speaker. The Clerk will report the resolution. 
The Clerk read as follows: 

House resolution 759. 

Resolved, That the House of Representatives has heard with 
profound sorrow of the death of Hon. John G. McHenry, late a 
Representative from Pennsylvania. 

Resolved, That the Clerk be directed to communicate these 
resolutions to the Senate and transmit a copy thereof to the fam- 
ily of the deceased. 

The resolution was agreed to. 

Mr. Palmer. Mr. Speaker, I offer the following addi- 
tional resolution. 
The Speaker. The Clerk will report the resolution. 
The Clerk read as follows: 

Resolved, That as a further mark of respect to the memory of 
John G. McHenry, the House do now adjourn. 

The motion was agreed to; accordingly (at 12 o'clock 
and 11 minutes p. m.) the House adjourned until to-mor- 
row, Friday, January 3, 1913, at 12 o'clock noon. 



[5] 



Memorial Addresses: Representative McHenry 



Friday, January 3, 1913. 
A message from the Senate, by Mr. Crockett, one of its 
clerks, announced that the Senate had passed the fol- 
lowing resolutions: 

Resolved, That the Senate has heard with deep sensibility the 
announcement of the death of Hon. John Geiser McHenry, late 
a Representative from the State of Pennsylvania. 

Resolved, That the Secretary communicate these resolutions to 
the House of Representatives and transmit a copy thereof to the 
family of the deceased. 

Resolved, That as a further mark of respect to the memory of 
the deceased the Senate do now adjourn. 



Friday, January 31, 1913. 

Mr. Rothermel. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent 
for the present consideration of the following order. 

The Speaker. The gentleman from Pennsylvania asks 
unanimous consent for present consideration of the fol- 
lowing order, which the Clerk will report. 

The Clerk read as follows: 

Ordered, That Sunday, the 16th of February, be set apart for 
addresses on the life, character, and public services of Hon. 
.ToHN G. McHenry, late a Representative from the State of Penn- 
sylvania. 

The Speaker. Is there objection to considering this 
order now? [After a pause.] The Chair hears none. 
The question is on agreeing to the order. 
The question was taken, and the order was agreed to. 

Sunday, February 16, 1913. 
The House met at 12 o'clock noon, and was called to 
order by Mr. Doremus, as Speaker pro tempore. 



[6] 



Pboceedings in the House 



The Chaplain, Rev. Henry N. Couden, D. D., offered the 
following prayer: 

Our God and our Father, our life and our hope, for in 
Thy keeping is the destiny of men, we gather here to-day 
in memory of men who by dint of industry and faithful 
service proved themselves worthy of the confidence re- 
posed in them, and have passed on to the reward of the 
faithful. It is well thus to commemorate their service 
and record their liistory as an ensample to those who 
shall follow them. Strengthen our faith, encourage our 
hope, and inspire us to noble endeavors, that we may 
merit the confidence of our fellow men and Thy loving 
kindness. Help us and their dear ones to say in all faith, 
Thy will be done. 

So long Thy power has blest us, sure it still 

Will lead us on 
O'er moor and fen, o'er crag and torrent, till 

The night is gone. 
And -with the morn those angel faces smile 
Which we have loved long since, and lost awhile. 

In the spirit of Him who brought to light life and im- 
mortality. Amen. 

The Clerk began the reading of the Journal of the pro- 
ceedings of yesterday. 

Mr. Hamilton of Michigan. Mr. Speaker, I ask unani- 
mous consent that the reading of the Journal be dispensed 
with. 

The Speaker pro tempore. Is there objection? 

There was no objection. 

The Speaker pro tempore. The Clerk will report the 
next special order. 



r?] 



Memorial Addresses: Representati\^ McHenry 

The Clerk read as follows : 

On motion of Mr. Rothermel, by unanimous consent, 
Ordered, That Sunday, February 16, 1913, be set apart for ad- 
dresses upon the life, character, and public services of Hon. 
John G. McHenry, late a Representative from the State of Penn- 
sylvania. 

Mr. Rothermel. Mr. Speaker, I offer the following reso- 
lution. 

The Clerk read as follows : 

House resolution 842. 

Resolved, That the business of the House be now suspended 
that opportunity may be given for tributes to the memory of Hon. 
John Geiser McHenry, late a Member of this House from the 
State of Pennsylvania. 

Resolved, That as a particular mark of respect to the memory 
of the deceased and in recognition of his distinguished public 
career the House, at the conclusion of the memorial exercises of 
the day, shall stand adjourned. 

Resolved, That the Clerk communicate these resolutions to the 
Senate. 

Resolved, That the Clerk send a copy of these resolutions to the 
family of the deceased. 

The resolution was agreed to. 



[8] 



MEMORIAL ADDRESSES 



Address of Mr. Rothermel, of Pennsylvania 

Mr. Speaker: The death of our departed brother, the 
late John Geiser McHenry, and the other Members of this 
House who passed away in the Sixty-second Congress 
casts a gloom all over this Nation. 

The journey of life lies along the dark valley of the 
shadow of death. Death knocks alike at the hovel of the 
poor and the palace of the rich. There is no spot or place 
on its pilgrimage where its presence is unknown. There 
is no family that will not feel the sting of it sooner or 
later. 

To-day there is many an eye that is weeping and many 
a heart that is bleeding; I might even say that the hearts 
of the people of a great Nation are bleeding on account 
of the great and good men who passed away in the House 
and Senate in the Sixty-second Congress. There is many 
a home whose light is extinguished and whose altars are 
draped in testimonials of sorrow. There seems to be but 
a step between life and death, and man is carried from 
time into eternity by the breath of destiny. All the wis- 
dom of all the ages stretches no further than the little 
span of life bounded by the cradle and the grave. 

I became acquainted with Mr. McHenry in the Sixtieth 
Congress. I soon discovered that he was a man of the 
people; he was like a brother to me; he was like a brother 
to all who knew him; he was modest, as is evidenced by 
his biographical sketch, which consists of but two lines 
in the Congressional Directory. He had those qualities 

[9] 



Memorial Addresses: Representative McHenry 

and traits of character which tended to spread the sun- 
shine of life among his fellow men and which linked him 
to his contemporaries in Congress in love and friendship. 

He was a careful, courteous, and painstaking Member 
of Congress. He had those qualifications of a business 
man which are so necessary in the halls of legislation in 
order to do the business of the Government successfully. 
He was patriotic in the performance of his duties, and 
said to me on more than one occasion that he felt that 
the Government should be run in the interests of the 
people so as to create equal opportunities for all, and 
that as a Nation we should conduct ourselves so as to 
command the respect of the other Governments of the 
world. He believed that in governments, as in nature, 
nothing is stationary, but that there is an onward move- 
ment in the course of evolution for the common good of 
mankind. 

With him the paths of duty ran parallel. As a husband 
and father he was a model; as a citizen he was one of the 
very best; as a legislator he ranked among the foremost. 
In short, he was a true American, whose loss is felt in the 
halls of legislation of the Government. 

In order that a sketch of the life of this great and good 
man may have an imperishable place in the Record I want 
to read an article which appeared in the National Maga- 
zine of December, 1911: 

Mr. McHenry was born April 26, 1868. 

Out in the sixteenth district of Pennsylvania lives Geiser 
McHenry. He was born in Benton Township, and his ancestors 
represent the sturdy type of pioneer which has developed the 
country's best brain and brawn. Mr. McHenry- was educated in 
the rural public schools of Pennsylvania, and drove a lumber 
team in his early youth, dreaming of the time when he could 
hang out his shingle as a lawyer. He was a practical dreamer, 
and realized that the first thing to do was to get started in busi- 
ness and await an opportunity to study law. After a course at 

[10] 



Address of Mr. Rothermel, of Pennsylvania 



the Orangeville Academy, he launched into a business career. 
As farmer, manufacturer, banker, and politician, Congressman 
McHenry is a type of Pennsylvania thrift. 

He was elected to the Sixtieth Congress by a handsome ma- 
jority, which has been greatly increased in the two succeeding 
terms. A member of the Appropriations Committee, Congress- 
man McHenry's judgment is always sought on weighty matters, 
and whatever McHenry advises goes a long way, because he 
does think out things. He believes thoroughly in systematic 
organization and rational construction of all interests as re- 
lated to the best interests of the public, and as a whirlwind 
political-campaign organizer he has but few equals. 

On his farm home at Benton he is at his best, for if there 
ever was a man who loved a farm it is John G. McHenry. 
His farms are under the direct personal supervision of Prof. 
M. E. Chubbuck, a graduate in agricultural science from the 
agricultural department of State College, State College, Pa. On 
these farms experimental and demonstrating work is being car- 
ried on not only for the benefit of his community but for the 
entire country. Mr. McHenry's belief is that the first impor- 
tant step toward the solution of the high cost of living must be 
found in an increased production of our soil. And it is his 
belief that in this increased production great prosperity to the 
farmers as well as to the consumers will ensue. His bill now 
pending in Congress, asking for the appointment of an agricul- 
tural scientist to be located in every congressional district where 
agriculture is a leading industry, is said to be a measure of 
perhaps greater economic importance to the country than any 
other measure offered or acted upon in our National Legislature 
in recent years. 

To hear Congressman McHenry talk on the subject, even on a 
railroad train with the deafening roar of whirring wheels, makes 
one realize that he has got to the root of things. He insists 
that if the soil of Germany and England, a thousand years 
older than our soil and in a less favorable climate, can produce 
28 to 32 bushels of wheat per acre there is no excuse for our 
producing an average of 12 to 14 bushels. He has at his fingers' 
ends — and in his mind's eye, for use on railroad trains — the 
figures and statistics to prove the economic necessity of this 
policy of placing our scientific Agricultural Bureau at Washing- 
ton in immediate touch with the farmers of the United States. 

[11] 



Memorial Addresses: Representative McHenry 

This, with scientific farm management, the Congressman de- 
clares — and you just have to share in his earnest enthusiasm — 
will in time make America first as an agricultural nation, viewed 
from the standpoint of acreage production. 

This would not only mean the addition of countless millions 
to our national wealth, but also would be a blessing to the people 
who are the ultimate consumers, and provide for our steadily 
increasing population. Farm production has been keeping pace 
with the increased population by the yearly increased acreage, 
and within the next few years it is feared that all available 
public lands suitable for agriculture will be exhausted. 

Congressman McHenry is first and above all a farmer, but 
the economic soundness of his argument has enlisted the hearty 
support of officials and wage earners alike. 

A man of high ideals and purposes, relentless in his energy 
and enthusiasm to accomplish the things that he sets out to do. 
Congressman McHenry is deservedly strong in the aff'ections of 
his constituents. You will not find many people in the sixteenth 
Pennsylvania district who do not approve of their Congress- 
man's agricultural bill. It is said that by stepping to the tele- 
phone he can in almost the proverbial " twinkling of an eye " 
organize his district for a campaign. All who know him trust 
him, and in this unfailing confidence is reflected the painstaking 
service of one who has in him the sturdy Scotch-Irish blood of 
the clansmen of ancient days, who made things hum when they 
came to town. The gentle-voiced and gracious Pennsylvania 
Congressman may not look the part, but the real Scotch-Irish 
of rough-and-ready ancestors is there. 



[12] 



Address of Mr. Wilson, of Pennsylvania 

Mr. Speaker: We have met here to-day because the 
Great Ruler of the Universe, to whom all men of all ages 
have bowed the knee and offered up the innermost rev- 
erence of their souls, has taken from his activities in 
this life our beloved friend and associate, John G. 
McHenry. And we feel constrained to express in words 
our love of the man, our appreciation of his life work, 
and our sorrow at parting with him. Yet how inadequate 
are words for such expression. No language can convey 
the subtile sentiment that binds the hearts of friends. No 
human mind can grasp the full measure of good that 
follows the acts of men. We are like pebbles from the 
shores of eternity thrown into the ocean of time. The 
ripple we make spreads in ever-widening and ever- 
weakening circles, still having an influence after our 
senses have ceased to observe their effect. 

And so it has been with the life of John G. McHenry. 
His good deeds will live after him. I knew him. I loved 
liim. He was quiet, inobtrusive, and unassuming, yet 
beneath the placid surface was the fighting spirit of a 
man. The last time I saw him the grim reaper was 
approaching, but he felt no fear. He was struggling to 
overcome the disaster that fire had brought in its wake. 
One could see in the firm lines of his face and the deter- 
mined expression of his eyes that he was imbued with 
the spirit of the poet, who said : 

More than half beaten, but fearless, 

Facing the storm and the night; 
Breathless and reeling, but tearless, 

Here in the lull of the fight, 



[13] 



Memorial Addresses: Representative McHenry 

I, who bow not but before Thee, 

God of th(? fighting clan, 
Lifting my fists I implore Thee, 

Give me the heart of a man! 

What though I live with the winners 

Or perish with those who fall. 
Only the cowards are sinners — 

Fighting the fight is all. 
Strong is my Foe — He advances! 

Snapt is my blade, O Lord! 
See the proud banners and lances! 

Oh, spare me this stub of a sword! 

Give me no pity, nor spare me; 

Calm not the wrath of my Foe. 
See where he beckons to dare me! 

Bleeding, half beaten — I go. 
Not for the glory of winning. 

Not for the fear of the night; 
Shunning the battle is sinning — 

Oh, spare me the heart to fight! 

Red is the mist about me; 

Deep is the wound in my side; 
" Coward," thou criest to flout me, 

O terrible Foe, thou hast lied! 
Here with my battle before me, 

God of the fighting clan. 
Grant that the mother who bore me 

Suffered to suckle a man! 



[14] 



Address of Mr. Gregg, of Pennsylvania 

Mr. Speaker: Among the many deaths which have oc- 
eurred in the Sixty-second Congress none brought greater 
sorrow to me personally than that of John G. McHenry. 
The death of any human being is always attended with 
sadness. We are all aware that sooner or later the grim 
messenger will knock at the door of every one of us. Yet, 
notwithstanding this fact, notwithstanding it is declared 
that " it is appointed unto man once to die," yet with each 
recurring death our hearts are touched with sorrow. So 
when the light in the life of John McHenry went out there 
came sorrow and sadness which was not confined only 
to his own household but that which reached out to a 
great constituency and throughout the great Common- 
wealth of Pennsylvania. 

My personal acquaintance with my colleague extended 
over a period of less than two years, but during that time 
this acquaintanceship ripened into a genuine friendship. 
Therefore I consider the death of Mr. McHenry a per- 
sonal loss. Soon after I was elected I received a personal 
letter from him, not only congratulating me upon the 
result of the election, but giving me sage advice and offer- 
ing me assistance in the discharge of my duties. The 
advice was accepted cheerfully and he extended the aid. 
When I came here, in April, 1911, I found him ready and 
willing to help me on all occasions. 

He was one of the fairest-minded men whom I have 
ever met. He was just, and he believed that all his fel- 
lows possesed the same virtue. Therefore he had all the 
honest, just men in his district with him at all times. 

He was generous. He knew that all men were human 
and liable to err. Therefore, when he discovered that 

11355°— 13 2 [15] 



Memorial Addresses: Representative McHenry 

no willful error or mistake was made, he was willing to 
accept the excuse. 

He was honest. He did what he thought was right and 
then clung to it. As I have said, he believed in humanity, 
and thus believing, he trusted in his fellows. 

Moreover, he was a gentleman. He was kind and con- 
siderate. He was at all times modest and retiring, yet 
he remembered the dignity of his position in life. He 
belonged to that old-fashioned, honest class of gentlemen 
that is fast disappearing. The world needs more of 
them — the ones who meet one with the glad handclasp 
and the cheery good morning. 

Such was John McHenry. Long will he live in the 
memory of his associates, and longer will he live in the 
thoughts and lives and hearts of his constituency. 

What more can I say than that — 

His life was gentle, and the elements 

So mix'd in him, that Nature might stand up 

And say to all the world, " This was a man." 

LEAVE TO PRINT. 

Mr. RoTHERMEL. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous con- 
sent that all Members may have leave to print on the 
life, character, and public service of Mr. McHenry. 

The Speaker pro tempore (Mr. Gregg, of Pennsylvania). 
The gentleman from Pennsylvania asks unanimous con- 
sent that all Members may have leave to print on the life, 
character, and public services of Mr. McHenry. Is there 
objection? 

There was no objection. 

Then, in accordance with the resolution heretofore 
agreed to (at 4 o'clock and 6 minutes p. m.), the House 
adjourned until to-morrow, Monday, February 17, 1913, 
at 12 o'clock noon. 



[16] 



Proceedings in the Senate 

Thursday, January 2, 1913. 

A message from the House of Representatives, by J. C. 
South, its Chief Clerk, communicated to the Senate the 
intelligence of the death of Hon. John G. McHenry, late 
a Representative from the State of Pennsylvania, and 
transmitted resolutions of the House thereon. 

Mr. Penrose. I ask the Chair to lay before the Senate 
the resolutions just received from the House of Repre- 
sentatives. 

The President pro tempore. The Chair lays before the 
Senate resolutions of the House of Representatives, which 
will be read. 

The resolutions were read, as follows: 

In the House of Representatives, 

January 2, 1913. 

Resolved, That the House of Representatives has heard with 
profound sorrow of the death of the Hon. John G. McHenry, late 
a Representative from the State of Pennsylvania. 

Resolved, That the Clerk be directed to communicate these 
resolutions to the Senate and transmit a copy thereof to the 
family of the deceased. 

Resolved, That as a further mark of respect to the memory of 
John G. McHenry the House do now adjourn. 

Mr. Penrose. Mr. President, I offer the resolutions 
which I send to the desk, and ask for the present consid- 
eration of the same. 

The President pro tempore. The resolutions will be 
read. 



[17] 



Memorial Addresses : Representative McHenry 

The resolutions (S. Res. 416) were read, considered by 
unanimous consent, and unanimously agreed to, as 
follows : 

Resolved, That tlie Senate has heard with deep sensibility the 
announcement of the death of Hon. John Geiser McHenry, late a 
Representative from the State of Pennsylvania. 

Resolved, That the Secretary communicate these resolutions to 
the House of Representatives and transmit a copy thereof to the 
family of the deceased. 

Mr. Penrose. I submit the following resolution, which 
J ask the Secretary to read. 

The President pro tempore. The resolution will be 
read. 

The Secretary read the resolution, as follows : 

Resolved, That as a further mark of respect to the memory of 
the deceased the Senate do now adjourn. 

The President pro tempore. The question is on agree- 
ing to the resolution submitted by the Senator from 
Pennsylvania. 

The resolution was unanimously agreed to, and (at 5 
o'clock and 18 minutes p. m.) the Senate adjourned until 
to-morrow, Friday, Januaiy 3, 1913, at 12 o'clock meridian. 

Friday, February 7, 1913. 
Mr. Oliver. Mr. President, I desire to give notice that 
on Saturday, March 1, I will ask the Senate to consider 
resolutions commemorative of the lives and public serv- 
ices of Henry H. Bingham, George W. Kipp, and John G. 
McHenry, late Members of the House of Representatives 
from the State of Pennsylvania. 

Monday, February 17, 1913. 
A message from the House of Representatives, by J. C. 
South, its Chief Clerk, transmitted to the Senate resolu- 

[18] 



Proceedings in the Senate 



tions of the House on the life and public services of Hon. 
John Geiser McHenry, late a Representative from the 
State of Pennsylvania. 



Mr. Oliver. Mr. President, on the 7th of this month I 
gave notice that on March 1 I should ask the Senate to 
consider resolutions commemorative of the life, charac- 
ter, and public services of Hon. Henry H. Bingham, Hon. 
George W. Kipp, and Hon. John G. McHenry, late Mem- 
bers of the House of Representatives from the State of 
Pennsylvania. I wish to withdraw that notice and to 
give notice that I shall ask the Senate to consider such 
resolutions on Thursday, February 27, at such hour as 
may be convenient for the calling up of the same. 

Thursday, February 27, 1913. 
The Senate met at 10 o'clock a. m. 
The Chaplain, Rev. Ulysses G. B. Pierce, D. D., offered 
the following prayer: 

Thou, who always givest us the victory in Christ, 
we thank Thee that Thou dost never leave us nor forsake 
us. Though Thou takest from our side friends and coun- 
selors, yet Thou dost not take from us Thy loving kind- 
ness. We thank Thee, our Father, for the life, the char- 
acter, and the public service of him whom we this day 
remember and, remembering, honor. We thank Thee 
for the privilege of laboring with him for the common 
weal and for the blessed memory of his life. We com- 
mend to Thee those to whom this sorrow is most deep 
and tender, and pray Thee to keep them and us evermore 
in Thy heavenly care. 

And unto Thee, who art the first and last and whose we 
are, living or dying, be all glory and praise on earth and 
in heaven now and forevermore. Amen. 

[19] 



Memorial Addresses: Representative McHenry 

Mr. Gallinger took the chair as President pro tempore 
under the previous order of the Senate. 

The Secretary proceeded to read the Journal of yester- 
day's proceedings, when, on request of Mr. Smoot and by 
unanimous consent, the further reading was dispensed 
with, and the Journal was approved. 

Mr. Penrose. Mr. President, I ask the Chair to lay be- 
fore the Senate the resolutions of the House of Repre- 
sentatives on the death of the late Representative John 
Geiser McHenry. 

The Presiding Officer (Mr. Page in the chair). The 
Chair lays before the Senate resolutions from the House 
of Representatives, which will be read. 

The Secretary read the resolutions of the House, as 

follows : 

In the House of Representatives, 

February 16, 1913. 

Resolved, That the business of the House be now suspended 
that opportunity may be given for tributes to the memory of 
Hon. John Geiser McHenry, late a Member of this House from 
the State of Pennsylvania. 

Resolved, That as a particular mark of respect to the memory 
of the deceased and in recognition of his distinguished public 
career the House at the conclusion of the memorial exercises of 
the day shall stand adjourned. 

Resolved, That the Clerk communicate these resolutions to the 
Senate. 

Resolved, That the Clerk send a copy of these resolutions to 
the family of the deceased. 

Mr. Penrose. Mr. President, I submit the resolutions 
which 1 send to the desk and ask for their adoption. 

The Presiding Officer. The resolutions submitted by 
the Senator from Pennsylvania will be read. 



[20] 



Proceedings in the Senate 



The resolutions (S. Res. 483) were read, considered by 
unanimous consent, and unanimously agreed to, as fol- 
lows: 

Resolved, That the Senate has heard with deep sorrow of the 
death of the Hon. John G. McHenry, late a Member of the House 
of Representatives from the State of Pennsylvania. 

Resolved, That as a mark of respect to the memory of the de- 
ceased the business of the Senate be suspended in order that 
proper tribute may be paid to his high character and distin- 
guished public services. 

Resolved, That the Secretary communicate a copy of these reso- 
lutions to the House of Representatives and to the family of the 
deceased. 



[21] 



MEMORIAL ADDRESSES 



Address of Mr. Penrose, of Pennsylvania 

Mr. President: Hon. John G. McHenry represented the 
sixteenth district in the House of Representatives. He 
was one of the leading farmers and business men of Nor- 
thumberland County, in Pennsylvania. He was born on 
April 26, 1868. After a course at the Orangeville Academy 
he started on his career. He became a farmer, manufac- 
turer, and banker. He was elected to the Sixtieth Con- 
gress and for two succeding terms by increasing majori- 
ties. He was an influential member of the Committee 
on Appropriations. His farms were under the direct 
personal supervision of an expert in agricultural science 
from the State College of Pennsylvania. On these farms 
he conducted much experimental and demonstrative 
work. He himself had devoted much study to agricul- 
tural questions in their scientific aspects. 

Mr. McHenry was popular with his constituents, and 
his political successes in the district were largely owing 
to his own strength of character and standing in the com- 
munity. The district had, previous to his election, been 
sometimes represented by a Republican Congressman. 
It was his strength with his constituency that turned the 
district Democratic. He was a good representative of 
the Scotch-Irish element in Pennsylvania, an element 
which has contributed so much to the intellectual, indus- 
trial, and commercial development of the State. His 
untimely death was universally lamented in his district. 



[23] 



Address of Mr. Oliver, of Pennsylvania 

Mr. President: On the 27th of December last, after a 
long illness, John G. McHenry, Representative in Con- 
gress from the sixteenth district of Pennsylvania, died at 
his home at Benton, in that State. Mr. McHenry was 
born in the same township in which he died and in which 
he lived all his life. He had scarcely reached middle age 
when death overtook him in the midst of a career full 
of promise of usefulness, both as a citizen and a public 
official. He had received an academic education, and his 
early inclination was toward the law; but he inherited 
the care of a large business from his father and was 
compelled to forego his natural desire for a professional 
life, in which, from his capacity and his ability, he un- 
doubtedly would have achieved success. 

Mr. McHenry early developed an interest in politics, 
and at the time of his death he was a leading figure in 
the councils of the Democratic Party in Pennsylvania. 
In 1906 he was elected to the Sixtieth Congress, and was 
relected to the Sixty-first and Sixty-second Congresses, 
each time by an increased majority. His service in Con- 
gress was in the highest degree creditable. He was a 
member of the Committee on Appropriations, and took 
an active part in the arduous labors of that important 
committee. He was an active, earnest, energetic Con- 
gressman, full of zeal for the interests of his district and 
his State, and always ready to serve any of his constitu- 
ents without regard to party. He had the good will of 
all with whom he came in contact, and no better instance 
can be had of the esteem in which he was held by the 
people amongst whom he lived than the following tribute 



[24] 



Address of Mr. Oliver, of Pennsylvania 

published in one of his home papers on the day of his 
death, from the pen of one of his employees: 

Those who worked for John G. McHenry knew him best. 
Everyday association with him only served to bring out the high 
lights of his personality, and in stress and storm his hand was the 
first to reach out in kindliness and material aid. 

Friendliness and loyalty to his employees was to him a chief 
issue, and his jurisdiction was always tempered and guided by 
the thoughts of their easiest roads and the shortest and surest way 
to their happiness and comfort. Mr. McHenrv never spared ex- 
pense in the adoption of devices which would ease labor; he con- 
ducted his office as regards hours and regulations on a broad and 
humane basis, and the lowliest among all of his employees could 
seek him in trouble and be assured of instant and certain assist- 
ance. The last clouded months of his life with their ever-increas- 
ing burden of troubles, witnessed, by virtue of his illness, a sever- 
ance of actual afrUiation. But the remembrance of his generosity 
and humanity lived and is now become a legacy which will 
endure after much else is forgotten. 

Mr. President, as a further mark of respect, I move that 
the Senate take a recess until 8 o'clock this evening. 

The motion was unanimously agreed to; and (at 6 
o'clock and 55 minutes p. m.) the Senate took a recess 
until 8 o'clock p. m. 



[25] 



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